| Aircraft Commander | Jeff Hagan |
| Co-pilot | Kristie Twining |
| Co-pilot | David Cowan |
| Flight Director | Barry Damiano |
| Dropsonde Scientist | Shannon Hefferan |
| Electronic Technician | Gabe Defeo |
| AVAPS Technician | Dale Carpenter |
| Data Engineer | Alan S. Goldstein |
| Data Engineer | Leonard Miller |
| Crew Chief | Angel Negron |
| None |
 Proposed NOAA 49 track |
 Final NOAA 49 track |
Mission Plan :
NOAA 49RF will conduct a G-IV TDR pattern around Tropical Storm Bertha, which had maintained steady intensity during the prior 24 h period. The plan calls for a circumnavigation TDR pattern at 1, 1.5 and 2 degrees radius from the storm center followed by a short arc at 3 degrees radius for environmental sampling. Dropsondes are launched at every turn point of the hexagonal pattern. Visible satellite imagery (Fig. 1) shows the center of circulation over the Bahamas.
Figure 1 Visible satellite picture at 13:45 Z |
Figure 2 Vertical wind shear analysis |
The main inhibitor of Bertha's development had been moderate westerly environmental vertical wind shear (Fig. 2), combined with dry air on the western side of the circulation seen in the TPW field (Fig. 3). The G-IV will leave Barbados, BWI 1730 UTC on August 2nd and will recover back at MacDill AFB, FL by 0100 UTC the next day.
Figure 3 TPW field with proposed drops |
|
Hurricane Research Division Augus 2, 2014 03:45 PM Aircraft: N49RF Proposed takeoff: 03/1730Z
TURN LOCATIONS
| #
| LAT
| LON
| RAD/AZM
| TIME
|
| deg min
| deg min
| nm/dg
| hr:mn
| 2S | 21 38 | 70 53 | 120/120 | 1:55
| 3S | 20 41 | 72 47 | 120/180 | 2:12
| 4S | 21 44 | 74 42 | 120/240 | 2:30
| 5S | 23 48 | 74 46 | 120/300 | 2:48
| 6S | 24 50 | 72 57 | 120/360 | 3:05
| 7S | 23 54 | 71 07 | 120/060 | 3:21
| 8S | 22 55 | 71 24 | 90/090 | 3:31
| 9S | 21 39 | 72 15 | 90/150 | 3:44
| 10S | 21 42 | 73 54 | 90/210 | 3:57
| 11S | 23 02 | 74 45 | 90/270 | 4:11
| 12S | 24 23 | 73 59 | 90/330 | 4:24
| 13S | 24 25 | 72 25 | 90/030 | 4:37
| 14S | 23 38 | 72 18 | 60/060 | 4:44
| 15S | 22 40 | 72 20 | 60/120 | 4:54
| 16S | 22 11 | 73 17 | 60/180 | 5:03
| 17S | 22 43 | 74 15 | 60/240 | 5:12
| 18S | 23 45 | 74 17 | 60/300 | 5:22
| 19S | 24 16 | 73 22 | 60/360 | 5:30
| 20S | 26 19 | 73 25 | 180/360 | 5:48
| 21S | 25 58 | 75 04 | 180/330 | 6:02
| 22S | 24 55 | 76 18 | 180/300 | 6:15
| 23S | 23 27 | 76 47 | 180/270 | 6:29
| | ||||||||||||||
Mission Summary :
| Take off | Landing
| Barbados, BWI | 17:15 UTC
| MacDill AFB, FL | 00:25 UTC
| | ||
The actual flight track is shown in Fig. 4. Takeoff was at 1715 UTC from Barbados. The aircraft landed in Tampa at 0025 UTC.
Figure 4 Actual flight track |
Mission Evaluation :
A total of two radar analyses were created and transmitted in real time. A composite of these two analyses is shown in Fig. 5 at 2-km altitude. The strongest winds are located on the eastern side of the storm. A total of 23 dropsondes were processed. A period of rapid intensification began shortly after this mission.
Figure 5 Composited Doppler wind and drop analysis |
Problems :
No problems with the data collection systems were noted.
Paul Reasor
Nov. 26, 2014
 Flight track |
 Temperature and Moisture |
 Wind and Atlitude |
|
Flight track detail |